The Secret Keeper

By: Kate Morton

Narrated by: Caroline Lee

Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

England, 1959: Laurel Nicolson is 16 years old, dreaming alone in her childhood tree house during a family celebration at their home, Green Acres Farm. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and then observes her mother, Dorothy, speaking to him. And then she witnesses a crime.

Fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to Green Acres for Dorothy’s 90th birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by memories and questions she has not thought about for decades. She decides to find out the truth about the events of that summer day and lay to rest her own feelings of guilt. One photograph, of her mother and a woman Laurel has never met, called Vivian, is her first clue.

The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams, the lengths some people go to fulfill them, and the strange consequences they sometimes have. It is a story of lovers, friends, dreamers and schemers, play-acting, and deception told against a backdrop of events that changed the world.

©2012 Kate Morton (P)2012 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Such rich characters!

Love the beautifully crafted story over generations. Full of love, hope and forgiveness. Loved it!

Loved the twists and turns.

The historical stories along with the love stories, and the mysteries. It was a perfectly put together story. And the narrator with the sweet accent made this audible book that much better.

Such a great story

Interesting from start to finish with intrigue emotion and life changing experiences. A must read

Characters

The story draws the reader in with both magic and realism. With characteristic twists Morton is a wonderful storyteller!

So many secrets… masterly revealed.

Love, love, love, the intricate storylines and folding of timelines. Keeps readers intrigued and eager to know what happens next. Beautifully developed characters and their adventures.

Incredible detail and suspense

This has taken the place of my former all- time favorites. I’ll never forget my first listen. I was spellbound by the intricacies of the plot. Absolutely PERFECTION

Very intriguing

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the surprise twist at the end. Very intriguing.

Sometimes People cannot move beyond their egos

This was my first Kate Morton and I was totally fascinated by the ways she weaves the tale through the eyes of Laurel, her daughter. Many times I do not like the switch from present to past, etc. but this book had perfect timing in this realm. The characters are all well developed and rich in personality traits. Twists and turns and a complex finale. All people are just human in the end. I have recommended this book to all my friends. Caroline Lee also brought the story to life.

Now may I make a recommendation: For those reviewers who basically rewrite the story and give all the minute details (and I am sure you are smart and definitely have a handle on most of the books you review). My problem is I want to listen to the book but not after having heard the plot and character twists. I skip reviews that go on and on. Please just give us a leader that will make me anxious to spend my next credit on that book. I respect your judgments, just dont want to know too much about the book before I listen to it. Thanks.

Surprises, surprises, and more surprises!!!

Kate Morton has a unique way of telling stories from the past,and the present, that excites me as it develops mystery, clues , and answers, all at the same time. So many friends and reviewers said that the ending was shocking. Being a real mystery lover, I did figure out the 'surprise' very shortly into the book. But interestingly enough, I think that Kate Morton's writing is so exquisite, that confirming my suspicions a little more with each chapter, actually greatly added to my joy while reading this book. Every time something happened, my first thought was of how cleaver this story was unfolding!!

The basic plot was simple enough. A young girl witnessed the shocking episode of her mother killing a man who showed up at their home. It was ruled self-defense, and the child was asked to keep this event a secret from her siblings. Sixty years later, as all the siblings gather for their Mom's 90th birthday, and final days of her life, questions and new answers are discovered. Love, friendship, WW1 War time bombings in England, and families broken apart all added to the fascinating truth of 'the secret'.

Kate Morton never fails to please!!

More Satisfying Secrets & Sisters from Kate Morton

Kate Morton's novels are all about secrets, love, and the persistence of the past. Often, there's a complicated relationship between sisters as well. "The Secret Keeper" has these elements and more, involving a young woman's misadventure during WWII and the questions that persist after the woman's teenaged daughter witnesses her mother stabbing a man to death in 1961. Although I did guess the answer to the mystery before all was revealed, I nevertheless found this an engaging and satisfying read. The details of life during the London Blitz seemed convincing and well-researched. The characters were lovingly constructed and very believable. The narrator, whom I believe does all of Kate Morton's novels, does a great job.